Strike-machine Bartolo Colon, Yoenis Cespedes impress in A’s win

This Drumbeat was going to be all Yoenis at one point earlier in the evening, and then Bartolo Colon, very good from the get-go, suddenly did something extrarodinary: The A’s starter threw 38 consecutive strikes from the second pitch of the fifth inning through the seventh pitch of the eighth inning of Oakland’s 6-0 win over the Angels.

The A’s and Angels are hoping to try to get some sort of information about where that might rank all-time, but I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s just wild to even think of that. Eleven batters in a row never saw a ball.

UPDATE: The data so far goes back to 1988, and Colon’s streak is the longest in that 24-year stretch. The next highest total in that time: 30 in a row by Tim Wakefield in 1998.

Colon – who now looks like a pure steal at $2 million for one year – worked eight scoreless innings against the powerful Angels and he allowed four hits, three of them coming with two outs. Only one man made it past second against him. He is 3-1 to start the season. He threw 108 pitches, and 82 of them were strikes. (83 if you count the close call on pitch no. 39 to Bobby Abreu after the 38 straight strikes.)

Colon said he never realized what he was doing – he knew he had thrown a lot of strikes, but never could have imagined throwing 38 in a row.

“I didn’t even realize it until they told me after the eighth,” catcher Kurt Suzuki said. “But I believe it, because I was catching, and he was just pumping it in there.”

The only person who took it all in stride was manager Bob Melvin, who’s been raving about Colon’s work in the zone since the start of the spring. He said, “It’s phenomenal, but it’s not surprising for him. He could throw a strike with his eyes closed if he wanted to.”

On Wednesday, Colon was primarily using fastballs, as is his norm, with what Suzuki called a very consistent two-seamer and also a four-seamer.

“His ball moves like crazy,” said Angels outfielder Torii Hunter, who was 0-for-3 with a strikeout against Colon on Thursday “We couldn’t get good wood on it at all. Oh, man, I don’t know what to say.”

So, back to Yoenis Cespedes: He belted a three-run homer in the first inning, his fourth homer of the season and RBIs No. 10, 11, 12. Also pretty remarkable when you think about it, because he never has seen these pitchers before. He never played in the minors. He hasn’t played pro ball in the U.S. What’s going to happen when he has a strong working knowledge of the guys he’s facing and when he understands what big-league pitchers are trying to do from at-bat to at-bat?

He seldom sees fastballs now, which is totally understandable. Both his singles Tuesday night and his homer Wednesday came on breaking pitches. He adjusts.

“It’s good to see him beating the scouting report,” Gomes said. “That’s going to reward him by getting his fastballs back.”

Here’s a weird thing: Gomes has three hits, and all of them are homers. He hit a solo shot to left in the sixth inning. (He also walked to force in a run in the ninth.)

Gomes said that as a platoon guy, he accepts his role, but he also knows it means he really has to stick to his strengths in order to be able to contribute. “I have to remember my approach, and my approach is to swing hard,” he said.

The A’s have 12 homers in 12 games. Last year, it took them 27 games to get to that home-run total. Nutty.

I’m not sure I’d have guessed in December that Bartolo Colon would be dealing like this for the A’s this season, or that Oakland’s primary offensive trait would be….power.

Albert Pujols went 0-for-4 tonight, and he has yet to homer for the Angels. I asked Suzuki what the A’s approach with him has been and he said to keep the ball down, because if you get the ball up “you have to go higher than high.” Otherwise, Suzuki said, “He’ll punish it.”